When previously eviscerated poultry carcasses are to be cut into parts, it is desirable that the parts be accurately separated from one another so that bone chips or fragments are not formed during the separating process and are not found in the separated parts. Further, it is desirable that the separating functions be performed in a rapidly operating automated system which accurately separates the parts from one another.
In recent years, more extensive use has been made of the overhead conveyor system in poultry processing plants, whereby the birds are suspended from an overhead conveyor system in an inverted attitude, with the legs of the bird supported in shackles that are carried by the conveyor system. The shackles move the birds through one or more processing stages, such as a vent cutter, a bird opener, an eviscerator, a neck breaker, a lung puller, and a crop remover. Further, the birds can be moved through various parts separating devices so that the carcasses are subdivided into, for example, separated breasts, backs, wings, legs and thighs.
One of the more difficult problems to be solved when cutting apart poultry carcasses in an automated, continuous operating system is to adjust the cutting mechanism to accurately cut poultry carcasses of different sizes. For example, when the carcasses are suspended from a conveyor shackle, the distance between the shackle and the joint between the leg and thigh which is to be cut so as to separate the thigh and the leg is greater for the longer birds and less for the shorter birds. This means that the cutting mechanism will not properly function to precisely cut into the joint and is more likely to cause a chipping of the bone as it performs its cut. Therefore, it is highly desirable to be able to adjust the parts separator system while in operation so as to change the location of the joint being cut with respect to the cutting mechanism, so that the cutting mechanism precisely cuts into the joint and performs an accurate separation of the carcass without leaving bone chips or otherwise improperly performing the separating function. Further, it is highly desirable that the separating system be adjustable so as to perform certain cuts as may be desired by one customer and other cuts which might be desired by some other customer. For example, there are some occasions when the back of a bird should be split along the backbone and other occasions when the back of a bird should be cut away from the adjacent thighs, so that the thighs are sold separately from the back. It is desirable to avoid stopping the processing line when a change of cut of this type is to be made.